Research in the Fast Lane

Shimadzu, one of the world leaders in analytical instrumentation, is calling young scientists from all over Europe to participate in the ‘lab4you’ student program in 2016. Up-and-coming talents can apply for laboratory bench space for their own research.

The ‘lab4you’ program with its free lab space was first launched in 2015. The quality of applications was so high that Shimadzu spontaneously provided lab space for two students rather than one. “In terms of metrology, the ‘lab4you’ student program has opened up new horizons for me. I was able to use instruments in Shimadzu’s Laboratory World that brought my research results to the next level” said lab4you participant Carola Schultz after her time spent at Shimadzu.

Shimadzu’s cutting-edge ‘Laboratory World’ located in its European headquarters in Duisburg, Germany, offers everything that a researcher could wish for: the entire band-width of analytical instrumentation – from chromatography, photometry and spectrom­etry up to materials testing machines. “State-of-the-art high-tech analytical instrumen­tation on over 1,500 m² will greatly benefit young scientists in their research” according to Björn-Thoralf Erxleben, Manager Marketing Europe, Analytical Business Unit. “For example chromatography and mass spectrometry with their significant progress in recent years have their own specific areas within the Laboratory World. Shimadzu plays a leading role in these technologies”, Erxleben continues.

Two laboratory spaces for young scientists awarded last year

In 2015, the jury awarded the sought-after laboratory spaces to two scientists, one from Germany and one from Poland:

• Carola Schultz, doctoral candidate at the MEET Battery Research Center (University of Muenster, Germany) investigating electrolytes of organic lithium ion batteries (LiB) using HPLC-MS/MS.
• Katarzyna Brama, doctoral candidate at the Technical University of Warsaw, Poland, investigating metal complexes and bioligands in tomato and garden cress extracts by means of HPLC with fluorescence detection.

Application made easy

The application procedure is straightforward. Interested students can apply in English language by submitting a short abstract of their research via the Shimadzu website until October 31^st 2016. Laboratory space will be available for the duration of the research project. A prerequisite for participation in ‘lab4you’ is the completion of a scientific degree, an interesting topic of research and previous knowledge of the preferred analytical discipline. Master students, doctoral students and post-docs from all scientific disciplines in which instrumental analysis plays a role can apply. The winner will be selected by an internal jury and will subsequently be notified in writing.

Support by universities is welcome

Shimadzu offers a selection of advertising materials to interested universities that can be readily handed out to potential participants. Contact: Uta Steeger